Italian downbeat noir-pop/rock duo Reverse E (aka vocalist / programmer Elisa Zoot and guitarist / producer Ariel Lerner) first formed as the result of a chance meeting in a recording studio back in Rome in 2001, their in-progress studio demos going on to score awards from the likes of Future Music and Sound on Sound magazine. Having recently relocated to London, the duo have gone on to score some coveted tour support slots to Laika and Ladytron, which certainly gives some indication as to the sort of lush, European aesthetic this debut album on the Scottish Antimatter label “Bio Illogical Weh Woh’ trades in. Rather than being composed around sleek synthetic textures however, the twelve tracks collected here manage to remain “electronic’ in nature whilst carrying a ramshackle, retro-futuristic feel that’s almost steampunk in nature. Opening track “The Windows’ highlights this approach, with Zoot’s teasing, almost cabaret-styled vocals sliding in over subtle electronic trip-hop crunches, shortly before things descend straight down into a spiral of opulent proggy rock that sees theremins and analogue synths battling for space amidst Phil Spector-esque crashing cymbals.
It’s certainly an impressive enough opening gambit (complete with closing accapella doo-wop vocals), but “Mr. E.’ manages to play a completely different card, emerging from dark spy-movie samples and brass into Nancy Sinatra-meets-Garbage indie guitar riffage and groovy clavinets, before “Psycho Mice’ sees the subtle, glitchy electronics moving to the forefront in a smoky slice of chanteuse-led downbeat nu-jazz that sits somewhere between Bjork and Bond theme. “Shame’ meanwhile comes across as the sort of track Tim Burton would stick on one of his soundtracks, as Zoot darts and glides over a rickety backdrop of spectacular harp orchestration and eerie off-key organs that suggests “The Nightmare Before Christmas’, while the fantastically-titled “Dub Spencer Must Die’ offers a smoky descent down into purring lounge vocals, deep Chanson-scented dub rhythms and serpentine jazz horns that’s easily one of the highlights of this album. While this album is sometimes difficult to stylistically pinpoint, its inspired and cohesive nature makes it listening experience likely to be particular rewarding for fans of the likes of Emilie Autumn, Dresden Dolls and Roison Murphy.
